70’s fashion icon comeback - bringing back Bata Bullets!

Wellington based
company Bata New Zealand is bringing back that staple
fashion item of the 70’s, the Bata Bullet.

Ten million
pairs of the casual shoes were sold in New Zealand in their
heyday and Bata Operations Manager Tony Harmer says there is
a growing call from young people to be able to buy them
again.

“We are re launching Bata Bullets because
everywhere we go we are being asked to bring them back. The
demand has been getting greater and greater. Young people
today are very much into the retro look.

“We started a
Facebook page to gauge the public’s interest and the
overwhelming response has been ‘yes, please bring Bata
Bullets back!’

The 70’s fashion iconic shoes were
Bata’s biggest seller.

“I used to work on the Bata
Bullet machines in Wellington and they were working flat out
24 hours a day to keep up with demand. We stopped making
them about 27 years ago. The old advertising campaign, which
is held in the National Archives, had the catch cry “Hat,
Shirt, Bata Bullets!’ and so many people still remember
that.”

Mr Harmer says the re launched Bata Bullets will
initially come in the original style and in the initial
colours will be white, navy, black, all black and grey.
Other styles and colours may follow, depending on how
successful the first sales are.

“It feels fantastic to
bring back Bata Bullets, it really does,” says Mr Harmer.
“I used to wear them myself. My mother used to work on the
machines and she would buy seconds at only 50 cents a pair
for me. I had all the styles and all the colours.”

The
new Bata Bullets will be made out of rubber instead of PVC
and will have better durability, slip resistance and more
comfortable inner soles.

“We are very excited about re
launching what was once our best seller and look forward to
Bata Bullets once again becoming a household
name.”

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